Feds spent $250,000 on car-charging stations on their own properties in 2018

The federal government spent nearly $250,000 on electric-vehicle charging stations on its own properties through the first eight-and-a-half months of 2018.

Six government departments incurred costs of exactly $244,832.71 from the stations on their properties from the start of the year to Sept. 17. Information about the costs were released by the government in response to an order-paper question by Conservative MP for Yorkton—Melville, Cathay Wagantall.

Public Services and Procurement’s costs are the highest of all departments, totalling $148,016. Just over half that amount — $75,000 — was spent at a single location: Parks Canada’s Mulligan Building in Ottawa. Another chunk, $25,000, was spent on stations at the new National Defence headquarters.

National Defence spent the second-most of any department: $60,000 on nine charging stations at one location, Willow Park Armoury.

Fisheries and Oceans spent $17,980 on stations, which were split between two locations. Transport Canada spent $9,615 building a station at one of its Quebec City properties. Environment and Climate Change Canada spent $9,144 at one of its Ottawa laboratories. Electricity-consumption costs at a single location where there are electric-vehicle charging stations accounted for expenditures of $77.40 at Health Canada properties.

All other departments say either they haven’t incurred any costs from electric-vehicle charging stations, or expenditures for costs of stations at their buildings fall under Public Services and Procurement’s portfolio.

In its response to Wagantall’s question, Natural Resources said although it hasn’t spent any money on electric-vehicle charging stations on its own properties, it’s given $14.4 million to municipal governments, utilities and private-sector organizations for a total of 110 electric-vehicle chargers and natural-gas and hydrogen-refuelling stations, 102 of which are “fast” chargers.